He is also accused of six offences of making and three offences of possessing indecent photographs of children, some at the highest level of depravity.

The offences are said to have taken place at Blackpool between February 2011 and May 2014.

Prosecutor, Jim Mowbray, asked for the case to be heard at crown court.

Defence lawyer, Michael Ball, said his client would not indicated pleas to the offences at that stage.

Battersby was bailed to appear at Preston Crown Court on February 3 by Blackpool magistrates. He must not have unsupervised contact with children under 16, except for fleeting or inadvertent contact, as a condition of his bail.